Tissue Regenix Group PLC

Tissue Regenix is a leading medical devices company in the field of regenerative medicine. The company’s patented decellularisation (‘dCELL®) technology removes DNA and other cellular material from animal and human tissue leaving an acellular tissue scaffold which is not rejected by the patient’s body which can then be used to repair diseased or worn-out body parts. The potential applications for this process are diverse and address many critical clinical needs such as treating vascular disease, heart valve replacement and knee repair.

Tissue Regenix was formed in 2006 when it was spun-out from the University of Leeds. The company commercialises academic research conducted by our partners around the World.

Tissue Regenix is based in York and has an operation in San Antonio, USA

Tissue Regenix works with its development and research partners to translate their ideas into lifesaving products and provide feedback into their programmes to meet medium and short-term research priorities, address clinical needs and deliver commercial opportunities.

Tissue Regenix’s focus is the translation of these innovations into products using its highly experienced team to address the manufacturing, regulatory and technical challenges of delivering quality, consistent products to meet the expectations of clinicians and patients.

Commercialisation begins only when regulatory approval is secured in the market concerned; within the EU this means a CE mark, in the US, FDA approval and in other territories, their relevant regulatory bodies.

Tissue Regenix is a pioneering, international medical technology company, leading the development of regenerative products to make replacement body parts using biological (human & animal) materials.

The company’s patented decellularisation (‘dCELL®’) technology removes DNA and other cellular material from tissue leaving an acellular scaffold which is not rejected by the patient’s body. The potential applications of dCELL® are diverse and address critical clinical needs such as wound care, heart valve replacement and knee repair.

Technology

dCELL® tissue devices that aid regenerative healing

The dCELL® process involves the creation of biological scaffolds which are essentially inert, and therefore classified as Medical Devices or transplant materials. This means that our products are typically subject to faster and less costly regulatory approval procedures than, for example, pharmaceutical products.

The market for human therapeutic products employing tissue engineering is one of the most rapidly growing sectors within the medical products sector.

Strategy

Improve quality of life for patients

Tissue Regenix is developing and commercialising a range of medical devices and treatments based on our patented dCELL® process. We have established operations in the US and UK to target multi-billion dollar global healthcare markets.

Tissue Regenix is currently focusing on three core product areas, through its TRX Wound Care, TRX Cardiac and TRX Orthopaedic division, working with our research partners (including the University of Leeds, Brazil’s Pontifical University of Parana, and NHSBT) to commercialise the intellectual property rights they generate.

A new approach to Regenerative Medicine

TRX Wound Care INC

"Studies using dCELL® technology suggest this regenerative medicine could help accelerate wound healing"

(Helen Gillan, NHSBT)

We have used our dCELL® process to decellularise dermis skin patches from donors and these patches - known as DermaPure™ –can then be used to cover chronic wounds. Application is rapid and easy to use with no rehydration required.

Our dCELL® technology is being used to develop new regenerative approaches to repairing damaged knees, to potentially avoid synthetic knee replacements. Meniscus injuries are increasingly common, with rising levels of obesity and an increasing number of sports related injuries leading to damaged knee tissue. The meniscus acts like a shock absorber in the knee and more than 850,000 repairs are currently performed each year. dCELL® decellularises porcine meniscus for implanting into the patient’s knee, acting as a matrix which could attract stem-cells and allow natural healing of damaged joints.

TRX CARDIAC

“Our experience with dCELL® valves has been very gratifying, with excellent results.”

(Professor Francisco da Costa, Pontifical University of Parana)

Our dCELL® technology enables us to take heart valves from pigs and decellularise the tissue, removing all trace of the porcine DNA and cells, and producing an inert heart valve. The dCELL® process works because it preserves the biomechanical properties of the heart valve and reduces the risk of rejection and infection. Our dCELL® heart valves have eight years of clinical data, showing positive results in more than 150 patients.

VASCULAR

“Tissue Regenix has leap-frogged other companies; dCELL® is the next technology, it really attracts stem-cells.”

(Professor Alan Dardik, Yale University)

Our dCELL® process takes animal and human tissue and removes the cells, providing a matrix that can be implanted into the body. dCELL® provides a highly biocompatible vascular patch for peripheral vascular reconstruction that evidence suggests gives a framework for population by the patient’s own cells, allowing host tissue regeneration.

HOW IT WORKS

Our dCELL® technology is derived from the natural structural tissue to be replaced in the body. The dCELL® process ensures the biomechanical structure and function of the donor tissue is retained as far as possible.

The devices could be able to attract and support tissue regeneration within their existing physical and biochemical architecture.

The creation of the dCELL® technology uses low concentration SDS and proteinase inhibitors to preserve tissue structure – this is in marked contrast to other products that use high concentration of reagents that may destroy the tissue structure.

John Samuel joined Tissue Regenix as Chairman in March 2008. John qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse and has held a number of senior finance positions in industry, including as Financial Director of Whessoe plc and Ellis & Everard plc. He was formerly the CEO of the Molnlycke Health Care Group, a global provider of single use surgical and wound care products to the healthcare sector. Until January 2010 he was a Partner with Apax Partners LLP.

Antony Odell - Managing Director

Antony Odell joined Tissue Regenix in January 2008 and was subsequently appointed CEO of Tissue Regenix in October 2008. He has extensive commercial experience in the medical technology sector. As well as working as co-director of Xeno Medical, a medical technology consultancy, he was CEO for a UK NHS cardiovascular device spin-out, Tayside Flow Technologies Ltd. Antony has a strong corporate sector background having worked for J&J Medical for almost 10 years in European business development roles for Drug Delivery & Vascular Access and General Manager (UK) for Fresenius (Critical Care & Diagnostics).

Alan Miller - Non-Executive Director

Alan Miller is a founding partner of SCM Private, the wealth management company, which was set up in early 2009 and which recently was awarded “New Firm of the Year” by Spears magazine. He was formerly the Chief Investment Officer and founding shareholder of New Star Asset Management from early 2001 until early 2007. Prior to that, he was a Director at Jupiter Asset Management in charge of their specialist high performance division between 1994 and 2000. Earlier he was a senior fund manager at Gartmore Investment Management between 1988 and 1994.

Alan is also a non-executive director of several private companies including Pharminox Ltd, a pharmaceutical company specialising in cancer research, and Leigh Cottage Childcare, a children's nursery near Bradford-upon-Avon providing home from home childcare.

Jonathan Glenn - Non Executive Director

Jonathan was Group Finance Director of Consort Medical plc from September 2006 to December 2007 until he took up the position of Chief Executive Officer in December 2007. Prior to joining Consort Medical plc, Jonathan was global Head of Finance at Celltech Group plc and later Chief Financial Officer of Akubio Ltd, a Cambridge-based developer of instrumentation for the Life Sciences industry.

Mr Glenn is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Randeep Singh Grewal - Non Executive Director

Randeep has 15 years’ experience working in the institutional investment arena and, until December 2012, was a Senior Portfolio Manager and member of the European equities team at F&C Asset Management. Randeep has also held investment analyst and portfolio management roles at ICAP Equities and Tudor Capital, where he spent 10 years covering and investing in healthcare companies. Randeep has considerable entrepreneurial expertise, having been involved in a number of start-up companies, both personally and as an investor, and qualified in Medicine from the University of Cambridge.

Steven Couldwell - Non Executive Director

With over 14 years of senior management experience, Steven Couldwell is currently Vice President and Head of Global Biosurgery at Sanofi, which has revenues of approximately $750m. He has a proven international track record in driving revenues and profit growth in both the medical device and CRO industries. Steven was formerly Vice President and General Manager of Covance Laboratories Europe and worked for Smith & Nephew for almost 20 years in a number of roles including President Orthopaedics (Europe) and Senior VP Sales and Marketing for Smith & Nephew’s Advanced Wound Management business.

Partners:

Proactive Investor UK Limited, trading as “Proactiveinvestors United Kingdom”,
is Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Registered in England with Company Registration number 05639690.
Group VAT registration number 872070825 FCA Registration number 559082.
You can contact us here.